Monday, November 28, 2016

There are a number of words I can use to describe this bedroom, drab, dull, lackluster.. uninspired perhaps?

But by the same token, the entire house had to be renovated one room at a time, and this one just kept getting moved to the end.

It’s not a bad little room Charlie Brown, it just needs a little love.

A side note on the extension cord under the bed. For the life of me I can’t figure out why builders would put ONE plug on that wall that is directly behind the bed in the middle of the wall. Who does that ? Don’t they know both night stands need power ?

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

If you’re like us, you’ve seen your home’s value rise exponentially in the last couple of years.

If you’re between 55 and 70, (the Boomer generation) this might actually work in your favour. Many of us are empty nesters and might have a larger home that we might be ready to part with. That makes this market very interesting. Downsizing might be in your immediate future.

So how do keep your level head and emotions in check when not only selling but also buying your new home? Knowing the right questions to ask and steps to take is paramount.

Here are 5 tips essential for a good buying experience:
1. Read and understand everything before you sign.
If you’re like many people when it comes to long contracts you don’t take the time to read everything. It is imperative to read and understand what is contained in your documents.
If you use an experienced real estate representative, they can answer any questions that you have.

2. Be sure you and your representative are on the same page.
Cover all of the details with your representative regarding the scope of their services. Do your own research on the buying and selling process, as well as on the documents you’ll be required to sign. A good starting point is to visit www.reco.on.ca.

3. Leave your emotions at the door.
No matter how much research you do, you might abandon all common sense when you encounter that perfect dream home and make a decision that you will later regret. In today’s market, bidding wars are common. Make sure that you stick to your budget. How much are you willing to go over your budget for your dream home? If you are a seller, decide and stick to the amount you need to sell your home.

4. Know your tolerance for risk.
Don’t let today’s hot market put you at risk. You might be tempted to beat out your competition by submitting an offer without conditions but this could be putting you at risk of losing a deposit should financing be an issue, or having to do major repairs at your own cost because you waived an inspection.

5. Be flexible and have a backup plan in place.
Homes sell very quickly in this market. Decisions are often made just as quick. You could purchase before you sell and own two homes. Alternatively you might sell faster than expected and not have purchased yet, leaving you with no home. You should have back up plans for each scenario. Adding conditions to your purchase offer could help lessen the risks.

Let me reference my own mistakes in purchasing in this hot market.
When I walked through the door of my previous home, I knew within 5 minutes I wanted that house. I may have overlooked the large crater in the back yard. In my excitement I didn’t notice the storm sewer easement at the back corner of the lot which could easily hide a small Buick. Another mistake I won’t make again is signing the purchase agreement without pictures of light fixtures, window treatments and appliances that were shown with the house and were included. The day after purchasing that house, my representative and I visited the home to take pictures of those exact things. Upon arrival, the present owner had already switched out the light fixtures.

With today's housing prices, you might be tempted to forgo hiring a real estate professional to save the commission. You’ll do yourself a huge injustice. Real estate professionals are widely known in their own community. They will hold agent open houses and round up a whole list of agents who have clients of their own. They also market your home in local papers or flyers and on social media. A great reason to have a real estate professional is their use of REALTOR.ca which lists your home to reach many thousands of potential buyers. Some real estate professionals will even help to prepare your home to show it the best possible way, appealing to buyers. Your real estate representative is also a trained negotiator. Personally, I wouldn’t ever entertain the thought of buying or selling without a professional by my side.

Your home is your life, the biggest purchase or sale you’ll ever make. Don’t cut corners or skimp on the important things.

If you would like more information and many other tips, I encourage you to visit the RECO website. Feel prepared. Feel confident. Make your purchase or sale a great experience.

While you’re at it, why not take the Test Your Home Smarts Survey Quiz to see if you’re as prepared as you think you are. Take the quiz for a chance to win a $100 Visa Card!

Monday, September 26, 2016

This autumn pumpkin craft is so easy you can make it in a couple of hours.

Who doesn’t love that?

Everything, with the exception of the pumpkin itself, came from the dollar store. You might get lucky and find a pumpkin you like at the dollar store but I didn’t. This pumpkin came from Michaels Craft Store and with the help of my handy dandy 40% off coupon, it made this find that much better.

Friday, August 19, 2016

After 9 years of renovations in this house, and with every room being overhauled in some way, major or minor, we have just about come to the end. This is the last room (for major reno’s anyway.)

I put this job off for obvious reasons. The mess in the bedroom, being without a bathroom and shower for a period of time and just basically the length of time to complete it. When you do the majority of work yourselves the projects seem to take forever.

As I stated before, when it comes to the before pictures, well yeah, I’m embarrassed to say that I used this bathroom the way it was for 9 years. Yes, for 9 years I looked at this first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Every time I walked in this bathroom I grumbled.

So here it is in all its glory.

The dreaded before pictures.

To understand how truly awful this bathroom was, I need to show you the layout. One third of the bathroom was taken up with this tub and almost one third was taken by the shower, which left me with one very small, crammed vanity. The shower was enclosed in drywall with only a small glass shower door for ventilation. I was constantly battling mold, even with leaving the fan running and the window open.

Thursday, June 30, 2016

I was going to call this Post “My Experience With Two Chucks” but decided against it.

After 9 years in this house we’ve finally come to the end of the renovations. Well, not exactly the end as we’re smack in the middle of the bathroom reno, but this is the last room in the house to be demolished and put back together.

And what a beaut it was. When I actually post before and after pictures I’ll surely be ashamed of the before photos. I put off doing this master bedroom ensuite for obvious reasons.

This. This right here is the reason.

And this.

This big gaping hole is where one huge, useless tub sat.

Anyway, here is what I wanted to tell you about my two Chucks.

If you’re doing any kind of small or large project at home where you need a drill. I have to tell you about this one.

This Switchdriver is awesome. It has a rotating dual chuck, holding both a screw driver bit and a drill bit.

With some materials, like particle board, MDF and solid woods, skipping drilling the pilot hole can create small cracks and weaken the joint.

That’s where theSwitchdriver came in handy. Between doing this bathroom renovation and my husband making a closet organizer for me, this saved all the time it took to switch bits, especially when working with particle board in the closet.

Here’s a picture of my future Son-in-law using it on the bathroom. This was when he could pry it out of my husbands hands.

It comes with two rechargeable 20 volt batteries, one Phillips bit and 2 drill bits. It’s very light weight and has a built in LED light that illuminates the work area. Oh and something about great max torque at 350 lbs, (something, really only men understand.)

My husband likes bit bits, and I cannot lie.

Onwards and upwards with the renovations, which I will be posting here soon. Just took a little time out to mention the newest member of the tool family.

(Hehe.. we’re not a family of tools, just our tools… nevermind.)

Funny thing is, my husband loves the drill, as it was a comfortable fit, easy to use and cuts project time considerably. I'm not sure this feeling will last though, because the quicker the projects are finished, the quicker I find new ones!

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

It was at the request of someone near and dear to me that I agreed to make over this table.

Someone so dear, that he just knew I could never say no to him.

He had recently acquired it in the condition you see below. I was a little apprehensive as this piece needed to be finished properly and that didn’t mean sanding and slapping some paint on it. This needed extra special care.

Monday, January 4, 2016

Just before Christmas I bought a 3 tiered stand that I wanted to use for Christmas Décor. But even as I bought it, I knew exactly how I would use it after Christmas. As a matter of fact, aside from these two very different uses as pictured below, I also cant wait to use it for entertaining as a 3 tiered antipasto platter and even a beautiful display for desserts. Perhaps I’ll update this post as I get pictures of those.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

A while back I posted about a common household problem. Shoe clutter. I hate it.

Nothing irks me more than an entryway littered with shoes. Well ok, a lot more irks me when it comes to clutter, but this is one of the biggest irks (?).

This bookcase turned shoe cabinet and the end of the hallway solved my particular problem. As my family enters through the garage this little side entrance landing would get populated with shoes mighty quick. I needed a storage solution that would get all the shoes off the floor and stored in an organized manner.

Below is the before.

I shall endeavor to explain the presence of my blender again. I keep it in the basement and it was waiting for someone (likely me) to take it down. This is not where I store my blender. “Nuff said.

In my post about turning a bookcase into a shoe cabinet you can see more pictures on before and after. CLICK HERE TO GO TO POST. Please excuse the rather primitive pictures from vintage 2009 Recaptured Charm.